METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE ENERGY RESOLUTION OF GAMMA RAY SCINTILLATION DETECTORS; ASSOCIATED SYSTEM, COMPONENT AND APPLICATIONS

摘要

The invention concerns a method for improving the energy resolution of a gamma ray detector comprising a monolithic scintillator and a photodetector segmented during a scintillation event characterised by the following steps:—detecting the time of arrival of the first photons on said photodetector;—counting, during a period T, which is between 2 and 6 times a transfer time (Te), the number and location of the first detected non-scattered photons;—determining the diameter and the position of a disk defined by a set of first non-scattered photons;—determining the position (X, Y) of a scintillation event from the location of said first detected non-scattered photons;—counting the number of the first detected non-scattered photons inside said disk during a period Td greater than a decay time (τ) of the scintillator;—defining the energy of a gamma photon, said energy being proportional to the number of non-scattered photons counted inside the disc. The invention also concerns the associated detection system, the microelectronic component and a scintillator crystal treated for use in a PET application, and the use of the detection system according to the invention in PET and SPECT imagers.

主权项

1. A method for improving the energy resolution of a gamma radiation detector comprising a monolithic scintillator and a segmented photodetector, during a scintillation event, the method comprising:
detecting the time of arrival of the first photons on each segment of said photodetector; counting for a period Ti so-called “integration time” consist of between 2 and 6 times a transfer time (Tc), the number of first detected unscattered photons, and determining their localisation; determining the diameter and position of a disc inside which are arranged first unscattered photons; determining the position (X, Y) of a scintillation event from the localisation of said first detected unscattered photons; counting the number of first unscattered photons arranged inside said disc for a period Td so-called “counting time” greater than a decay time (τ) of the scintillator; defining the energy of a gamma photon, said energy being proportional to the number of unscattered photons counted inside the disc.